Do your employees know how to disagree with you?
Description
Everyone talks about wanting open communication at work. Leaders say they value different opinions, but in reality, most workplaces are built around silent agreement. People nod, smile and go along with plans even when they have serious doubts. Why? Because speaking up feels risky. And if your team is staying quiet, it’s worth asking whether they actually feel safe disagreeing with you.
The absence of conflict doesn’t mean alignment. Sometimes it means people are keeping their real thoughts to themselves. And the problem with that is, you can’t improve what you never hear. Progress needs disagreement. Innovation needs pushback. If you’re surrounded by yeses, you might be missing the most important perspectives in the room.
The absence of conflict doesn’t mean alignment. Sometimes it means people are keeping their real thoughts to themselves. And the problem with that is, you can’t improve what you never hear. Progress needs disagreement. Innovation needs pushback. If you’re surrounded by yeses, you might be missing the most important perspectives in the room.
Summary
Healthy disagreement is not a threat. It’s a signal that people care enough to be honest. It means they are invested in this business just as much as you are and that is something every entrepreneur should welcome. The real concern is when no one pushes back, when silence replaces input. If your team has been conditioned to prioritise harmony over honesty, disagreement will never feel safe.
Shifting this dynamic means looking at the unspoken rules in your workplace. Who gets to speak freely? Who stays quiet? How do you respond when someone challenges you? The answers to these questions determine whether disagreement becomes a tool for growth or something to be avoided at all costs.
